Chicago Bears @ New Orleans Saints Match Preview

New Orleans Saints will host Chicago Bears this weekend in an NFC Wild Card play-off game. The teams have already met once this season, with the Saints winning a close game in Chicago. It will be interesting to see how the Bears cope with the offensive power that the Saints can bring, especially after a season in which Chicago only finished with an 8-8 record. Saints quarterback Drew Brees will not want this to be the final game of his career. Read on to see where the best betting value in the game can be found!

Trubisky to lead the Bears offense

The Saints head into this clash with the Bears in good form after beating Carolina Panthers 33-7 in the final week of the regular season. That win was doubly impressive as the Saints had to shake off some Covid-19 related disruption to their squad. The last time the teams met, back in November, the Saints defense dealt pretty well with everything that the Bears’ offense threw at them in a 26-23 overtime win. Things will be different this weekend, however, with Mitchell Trubisky now playing QB for Chicago rather than Nick Foles. Since Trubisky became first-choice under center, the Bears have averaged just over 30 points a game.

It’s the Bears’ rushing game that has been a big part of that fine offensive performance. Chicago’s offensive runners did not really find their collective feet until Week 12, which was when David Montgomery started to step up. The Saints certainly have the defensive tools to cope with that running game, though. New Orleans limited opponents to 3.9 yards per carry and under 94 rushing per game in the regular season.

The Saints offense could be boosted by the return of key men from injury. Running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Michael Thomas could both feature on the weekend, giving Drew Brees even more options as he looks to potentially finish his career with a run to the Super Bowl.

Our Pick: Saints to score first and win

Our tip comes from 888Sport which is offering odds of -122 on the Saints scoring first and winning the game. We cannot see Chicago making much impression on New Orleans in this game, and the Saints might well run wild if Brees decides that he is in the mood for a big game. We suspect that the Saints will start big and maintain momentum throughout the game. The final score might well look pretty one-sided, with the Saints setting a base for a serious shot at the Super Bowl.

Our pick: Saints to score first and win @ -122 with 888Sport